1. Field of the Invention A draft operated fireplace insert circulates heated air through natural convection to most effectively heat the building in which it is placed. The insert is compact, economical to produce, and useful in heating and circulating air from either the outside of the building into a room or from one room to another inside the building. 2. Description of the Prior Art
The fireplace is a common architectural feature of most of today's homes. With the need to look to renewable energy sources, the fireplace is no longer merely an aesthetically pleasing addition to a room but is an important source of home heating.
Ever since the Franklin stove, ways of improving the efficiency of the fireplace have been sought. These methods have variously included restricting the airflow through the fireplace, circulating air around the fireplace into the room(s) to be heated, and improving the radiation of heat from a fireplace or wood-burning stove into the area to be heated by reflectors and radiators. By way of further improvements, fireplace inserts have been constructed wherein outside air has been ducted into the fireplace and then into the room to be heated or fans have been used to increase the airflow around the fireplace insert.
While these prior devices have been largely successful in improving the efficiency of the fireplace as a heating unit, the fireplace inserts are usually massive structures, and thus difficult to transport and expensive to produce. Further, these units lack adequate air circulation for the ignition of the fire, and have failed to maximize the heating surfaces around the fireplace insert for heating the structure. Specifically, existing fireplace inserts fail to effectively utilize the area at the base of the fireplace as a source of heat for the room.